Brush and handle assembly



y 29, 1952 H.1W. STEPHENSON ETAL 0 ,6 9

BRUSH AND HANDLE ASSEMBLY FiledDec. 17, 1946 y when conditioned for use.

, on the line -5 of Figure 4. f

Patented July 29, 1952 BRUSHYAND HANDLE ASSEMBLY Harry W. Stephenson, Santa Monica, and

Ben D. Hall, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application December 17, 1946, Serial No. 716,840

The present invention relates to brushes of the type which may be carried conveniently in traveling and which may be converted into'a compact sanitary package.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved brush structure characterized by its compactness and small size to which it may be reduced when it is desired to carry the assembly either on the person or in traveling luggage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved brush structure wherein the brush bristles themselves are moved relativ to one another in order'to minimize space requirements to provide a relatively large structure in use and to break up the possible accumulation of foreign matter between adjacent bristles.

,Yet another object of the present invention is to I provide improved brush structures characterized by their simplicity, 'inexpensiveness, ease with which they may be manufactured through mass production methods and expediency and of pleasing appearance. u

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a brush assembly wherein a. covering therefor may be converted into a suitable handle for the brush'assemblymr vice vers'a.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a brush assembly'in which the wearable parts thereof may be conveniently cleaned and replaced.

The features of the presentinvention which are J believed to be 'novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. This invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further obj ects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by'reference to f the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an end view of the brush assembly incorporating the present invention when conditioned for use. I

Figure 2'is an end elevation corresponding to Figure 1. when the brush, assembly is conditioned for nonuse and for convenient portability.

Figure 3 .is a view taken substantially in the direction taken by the line 3 3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of anotherbrush assembly incorporating the present. invention Figure 5 is a sectional view takensubstantially Figure 5A shows some' of the p'arts of Figure 5 'in enlarged form.

- Figure 6 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line 6 of Figure 4..

-2 Claims. (01. -185) Figure 7 is a sectional view corresponding to the view in Figure 5 but with the combined cover and handle member therefor in an intermediate position between its closed and open positions.

Figure 8 is a perspective View of a portion of the combined cover and handle member for the brush assembly of Figure 4 but with a spring member dismounted therefrom.

Figure 9 is'a perspective view of the brush assembly shown in Figure 4 when the brush bristles are covered and the assembly is conditioned for convenient, compact portability, the assembly being shown in its inverted position.

The brush assemblies shown in Figures 1 and 4 have certain features in common among which resides the structure whereby adjacent rows of brush bristles may be moved with respect to one another and whereby a portion of the assembly may be alternately used either as a cover member or as a handle for the brush bristles.

In the brush assembly shown in Figures 1 through 3, rows of brush bristles H], II, I2 and I3 have one of their ends embedded respectively in plastic rectangularly shaped strips I4, l5, l6 and 11 through which flexible canvas-like material l8 extends. The flexible material l8 serves to maintain the strips [4, I5, l6 and I1 in spaced relationship to one another and yet to allow relative movement therebetween when and as the combination handle and cover members 19 and 20 are moved between their extreme positions shown in Figures 1 and 2. The flexible canvas-like material IB is not only bonded to the plastic strips I 4, 15, I6 and I! but also to the members I9 and 20 through which they centrally extend. Although we prefer to use plastic material, other materials may be used, for example, wood, ebony, composition materials and the like. Further, adjacent strips may be hinged by small connecting metallic hinges. j

The assembly may be maintained in the positions shown in Figures 1 and 2 by means of any one of a number of conventional type releasable fastening means 22 arranged to releasably maintain adjacent free ends of the members l9 and 20 together. Such fastening means of course may take difi'erent forms and shapes and is shown herein for purposes of simplicity as a pivoted hook member 23 arranged to cooperatively engage a suitable post 24 on the other member 19 or 20, as the case may be.

The abutting adjacent ends of members I4, I 5, l6, I1, 19 and 20 are shaped so; that adjacent members solidly abutone another in the extreme positionsshown in Figures. l and 2 whereby the pivotally mounted on the housing '49.

brush assembly is relatively solid when used or carried, even though it is flexible in positions intermediate to those shown in Figures 1 and 2, such adjacent sides of members [4, l5, 16, ll, l9 and 20 being tapered as shown to provide different desirable results.

It is apparent that each row of brush bristles I0, I I, I2 and I3 either may comprise a single continuous row of bristles or, as preferred herein, each row is discontinuous in nature comprising spaced tufts of bristles. These bristles preferably are imbedded in plastic material to which they, as well as the flexible material 18, are readily bonded in the manufacturing process, the plastic material being preferably translucent cr opaque.

Although we have shown only four rows of bristles III, ll, 12 and (3, it is obvious that one skilled in the art with the teachings and structure incorporated herein may make brush assemblies incorporating more or less than four such rows.

It is apparent that the combined handle and cover members 19 and 20 may take different forms andshapes 'to provide a convenient hand grip when the assembly is intended for use; for example, matched portions 2| for insertion of fingers may be provided.

In the other arrangements shown in Figures 4 to 9, inclusive, individual rows'o-f brush bristles 36, 3|, 32, 33 and 34 are automatically moved from 'a retracted position to a useful position when the combined coverjand handle member 35 is moved from itsclosed position shown in Figure 9 to its open position shown in Figure 4, each row of bristles 3D to 34, inclusive, being mounted for independent rotational movement with respect to one another'on corresponding rotatable shafts 38, 39, 43, 41 and 4.2,e'ach of which has centrally located gear teeth 44 on the other side thereof arranged to cooperate with a spring-biased rack member 45 arranged to be engaged and moved by the combined cover "and handle member '36't0 thereby cause corresponding movement of rotatable shafts 38, 39, 40, 4| and '42.

The rack member 45 asperhaps best seen in' Figure 6 is U-shaped in cross section, being formedo'f sheet metal material and arranged to slide in a guideway 46 which is a centrally located aperture in the U-shaped sheet metal member 41, upon which opposite ends of rotatable members 38 through "42 are journaled. This U- shaped member 45 is normally biased to the right in Figure by one or more compression type springs 48 disposed between the wall of the housing' 49 and thera'ck member 45 to normally pressits end 50 out of an opening 5| in the other end of the housing 49 in a position where the end 50 may be engaged by the member 36 which is Outward movement of the member 50 is limited by engagement of the enlargedportion 55 on the rack mem-' ber 45, the outward movement of the'r'ack member 45 being limited by engagement of the enlarged portion 55 contacting the inner surface of the housing member 49. Member 41 forms only a part of thebearing for the members 38, 39, 40, 4| and 42 and the other part of the bearings for such members is provided byjthe pair of opposed bent edges 58 and 59 of the housing member 49.

4 a pair of spaced turned apertured portions BI and 62 on member 36.

Pin 60 has an enlarged square cross sectional portion 65 disposed between turned bearing members BI and 62 which cooperates with the free end of leaf spring member 66 having its other end fastened by rivets 6B or the like to the member 36, or for cooperation with the edge 61 of member 36 to thereby firmly maintain the member 36 in place as the pair of folding sides 10 and 1! are folded inwardly as shown in Figure 4 wherein such edges 61 cooperate with the square cross sectional portion 65. These side portions 10 and H are pivotally mounted on the central portion 12 by the conventional type of hinge 13.

whereby the member 36 may be conveniently reduced in size to simultaneously lock the member 36 in place and to decrease its size so that it forms a suitable handle of pleasing appearance.

In operation of the brush assembly described in connection with l iguresnfthrough 9 the assembly shown in Figure 9 in its closed condition is converted into the assembly shown in Figure 4 by pivoting the member 35 about the pin "66 through an angle of 189 to cause the "spring member 66 to resiliently engage the square cross sectional portion 65 of the pin 60 thereby to maintain the member 36in position while the pivoted side members 10 and 'H and the edges 61 engage the square enlarged cross sectional portion 65 thereby to maintain the member 36 firmly in position as shown in Figure '5. Upon pivotal movement of the member -36 from its position shown in Figure 9'to its position shown in Figure 4 the end 50 'of the 'rackmember 45 is pressed inwardly against the aetion of "com-- pression spring '48 as shown in Figure '7 thereby to rotate each'and every one of the brush bristles 30 through34 from the retracted horizontal position in Figure '7. to "a substantially vertical position wherein such brush bristles are more useful in brushing operations performedby a person grasping the handle 35.

In order to restore the assembly from its open position shown in Figure 4 to its closed position shown in Figure '9, "it is"necessary to pivot the flap members "Iu'and -H away from one-another to the position shown "in Figure .8 thereby to cause disengagement of the edges 61 'fro'm th'e square cross sectional portion 65. Thereafter the entire member36 is pivoted on its pivot .pin 60 throughan angle of 180 toits relative position shown in Figure 9., "thereby allowing the compression spring 43".to' "automatically move eachjancl every onebf therows of 'brush bristles 30 to 34, inclusive, toretra'ctedposition, the cover member 36 being m'a'intainedblosed"by'engagement of leaf spring 66 'withpin portion 65.

While the particular embodimentscithepresent'invention have been showna'nd described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications" may. be imadewithout departing from this invention finfits broader aspects and. therefore, the faimiin the appended claims is to cover 'all' suc'h changes and modifications as fall within the-true "spirit and soups of this invention. r

Weclalm':

1. In a brush assembly, 'raplurality of base members, a row of bristles mounted'on each .base member, a pair of combinationhan'dleand cover members, a flexible member "passingthrough "and bonded to said base members andsaid combination handleand cover members, whereby said last members may be'swung to oneposition-to provide a handle and to another position to cover said bristles, and means for selectively locking the free ends of said pair of members in either of said positions.

2. In a brush assembly, a plurality of base members, a row of bristles mounted on each base member, a pair of combination handle and cover 6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 564,739 De Lent July 28, 1896 696,798 Chambers Apr. 1, 1902 883,548 Laitner Mar. 31, 1908 1,063,411 Brupbaoher June 3, 1913 1,375,681 Dennin Apr. 26, 1921 1,473,315 Poirier Nov. 6, 1923 1,592,510 Topperwein July 13, 1926 

